Good Shepherd welcomes the release of proposed minimum standards for Victorian rental homes. The standards are nation-leading, and we applaud the Victorian Government for prioritising the health and financial wellbeing of the third of Victorian households who rent.
Taking our major No Interest Loan program as a proxy, almost 70% of Good Shepherd clients are social or private renters. Women and their families in the broader community also have a particular reliance on rental housing. For example, 57% of female sole parents aged 25-34 years are private renters, with young children in their care.
The proposed standards include ceiling insulation, draughtproofing, and efficient heating, cooling and hot water systems. Measures such as these are very important for thermal protection and energy affordability, and in turn support good health. They are also vital cost-of-living measures – a home with fundamental energy-efficiency features is a cheaper home to run. The proposed standards also harness the role of rental housing in Victoria’s decarbonisation journey, and the pursuit of a 75-80% reduction in emissions by 2035.
